Artist in Focus: Romain E.

Quick Review

Born:1972 Paris, France

Studied: ECV Paris, 1993, Atelierde Recherche Picturale (ARP) Issy-Les Moulineaux, 1994-1997

Work:Through his paintings Romain E. depicts daily life in the cities he visits or resides in, paying particular attention to street scenes, petrol stations and holiday scenes. He captures people who are in close proximity to one and other, devoid of any kind of communication, creating a peaceful and calming undertone throughout his paintings.

Since the beginning of his career Romain E. has always been drawn to a realistic style and it was only a matter of time before he solely focused on Hyperrealism. As his paintings became more focused and he began to identify more specifically within the genre, Romain E. strives to create urban scenes encompassing the feel of a place through its architecture and its people. There is a strong social commentary present throughout his body of work which enables the viewer to understand and view a specific location through the eyes of the artist. Romain E.’s background in 'visual communications' allows him to carry a clear visual message within his compositions and engage with his audience.

When creating one of his paintings, Romain E. tends to reference two photographs he has taken while on location. Back in his studio he begins his work by deciding on the scale and then he draws the composition before working with colour. He likes to work on paper board and his medium of choice is mostly acrylic paint, sometimes he adds felt tip pens, coloured pencils and oil paints for extra detail.

'Morning in the Meat-Packing District'"At the time I used to live in NYC and was constantly taking pictures of daily life, particularly in the morning where I found I could capture more of the architectural essence without too many people in the frame.

I liked this particular shot as I found it to be a very simple and efficient composition.

Early morning and already very hot, the city is still quiet and I found myself intrigued by the mystery of these two people walking by... are they walking together or separately?

This painting also pictures the specific area where the Whitney Museum of Art now stands." - Romain E.